“He’s a Much Smaller Guy” – Mikey Garcia Believes Manny Pacquiao Can’t Complicate Things

The last time Mikey Garcia fought a Southpaw at welterweight things got as bad for him as they possibly could. Despite the forgetful experience, Garcia is not in the mood to let go of his welterweight dreams.

The four-weight world champion tasted the first defeat of his career against Errol Spence Jr. The 5’10” Spence wreaked havoc upon Mikey.  A difference in size was the major reason for the one-way affair. Therefore, the California native is now looking for a smaller opponent.

The man on top of Garcia’s preferred opponent list is Manny Pacquiao. In an Instagram live chat with Eddie Hearn, Mikey said that the Filipino would be an easier opponent than Spence Jr.

“I would love that opportunity to fight Manny. I think styles, you know, make fights. And he’s not this tall, lanky fighter that can complicate things like Errol Spence did,” said Mikey.

A much more physical Spence annihilated Mikey en route to a shutout victory. All the three judges scored every round in favour of “The Truth”. Just like Spence, Pacquiao is a southpaw as well. But he doesn’t necessarily have the imposing physical presence as that of the unified welterweight champ.

“Manny’s still a southpaw, but he’s a lot smaller in size,” Mikey added. “So, he’s shorter in height, doesn’t have the reach like some of these other welterweights.”

Because of all these reasons, Mikey believes a scrap against Pacquiao would be a stylistic spectacle.

Mikey Garcia remembers the time he sparred with Manny Pacquiao

The fight between Garcia and Pacquiao makes sense because of their similar physicalities. Neither of them is a true welterweight. Instead, both of them can be described as enormously overachieving big lightweights. Fighting Pacquiao will not only give Mikey a huge payday but also the opportunity to be a five-weight world champion.

If the two ever square off in the ring, they can benefit from reminiscing about the time when they sparred together.

“I mean, I remember sparring with him years [and] years ago,” Mikey recalled. “I was able to fight in the ways similar to like Morales or Marquez.”

Even if both of them show interest in facing each other, the fight couldn’t be made before the world comes out of the pangs of Coronavirus. Pacquiao last fought against Keith Thurman. He handed Thurman the first loss of his career. Garcia, on the other hand, rebounded from the setback against Spence by defeating former WBO welterweight champ, Jessie Vargas.